About Veterinary Care in Gainsborough
This guide helps pet owners compare local veterinary options in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire based on services, animal coverage, and availability.
Top-rated veterinary clinics in Gainsborough
There are 5 veterinary clinics in Gainsborough, with an average Google rating of 4.2★. All 5 clinics treat dogs and cats, while none offer farm or large-animal services. Only 1 clinic provides emergency or out-of-hours care, and there is no 24-hour veterinary cover locally. The town's clinics collectively have 763 reviews, with 3 clinics maintaining a web presence. Veterinary nurse training is available at 2 of the clinics, offering an educational component alongside animal care. Overall, the town exhibits strong clinic depth, with key services distributed among a few providers, focusing primarily on companion animals like dogs and cats.
Best Rated Veterinary Clinics in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
Top-ranked veterinary practices based on quality, service, and customer reviews

Rase Veterinary Centre is part of the Rase & Aldervale Vets group, which operates multiple surgeries. The website states it provides its own emergency out-of-hours cover for 20 small animal practices in that group, and also for Vets4Pets Scunthorpe. It also lists an onsite laboratory and RCVS Tier 3 accreditation. From recent reviews, owners most often mention getting seen quickly for urgent problems (for example, an “immediate appointment” for a cat that was sick), follow-up after procedures (a next-day phone call after rabbit dental surgery), and feeling supported during euthanasia. Several reviews also comment on pricing being better than expected for what was included (one owner noted medication to take home was included rather than charged as an add-on).
Rase Veterinary Centre is part of the Rase & Aldervale Vets group, which operates multiple surgeries. The website states it provides its own emergency out-of-hours cover for 20 small animal practices in that group, and also for Vets4Pets Scunthorpe. It also lists an onsite laboratory and RCVS Tier 3 accreditation. From recent reviews, owners most often mention getting seen quickly for urgent problems (for example, an “immediate appointment” for a cat that was sick), follow-up after procedures (a next-day phone call after rabbit dental surgery), and feeling supported during euthanasia. Several reviews also comment on pricing being better than expected for what was included (one owner noted medication to take home was included rather than charged as an add-on).

Raoul Dowding Vets is a two-site veterinary practice (ownership/group not stated) that appears set up for both routine care and urgent problems. Across the latest reviews, owners repeatedly describe being seen quickly—sometimes the same day—even when the diary is full, including one case where a vet saw a dog during their lunch break. There are also multiple examples of the team adapting care to the situation: examining an elderly dog in a car when the owner couldn’t lift them out, and arranging a calmer approach for a reactive dog by meeting outside first. The clinic is also described as a veterinary nurse training facility.
Raoul Dowding Vets is a two-site veterinary practice (ownership/group not stated) that appears set up for both routine care and urgent problems. Across the latest reviews, owners repeatedly describe being seen quickly—sometimes the same day—even when the diary is full, including one case where a vet saw a dog during their lunch break. There are also multiple examples of the team adapting care to the situation: examining an elderly dog in a car when the owner couldn’t lift them out, and arranging a calmer approach for a reactive dog by meeting outside first. The clinic is also described as a veterinary nurse training facility.
Gainsborough Referrals is a veterinary referral clinic (previously known as Lincolnshire Veterinary Specialists, now rebranded) offering orthopaedic, soft tissue, and neurology referral work, with a CT scanner listed on its site. Recent reviews describe the practice handling complex surgical cases such as spinal surgery, fracture repair, and cruciate ligament surgery, alongside intensive aftercare. Owners repeatedly mention: - Clear, step-by-step explanations of options and procedures (including talking through whether surgery was needed). - Urgent, flexible response for a critical case, including arranging surgery quickly and supporting inpatient care over more than a week. - Follow-up and accessibility after procedures, including offering re-checks when owners reported healing concerns.
Gainsborough Referrals is a veterinary referral clinic (previously known as Lincolnshire Veterinary Specialists, now rebranded) offering orthopaedic, soft tissue, and neurology referral work, with a CT scanner listed on its site. Recent reviews describe the practice handling complex surgical cases such as spinal surgery, fracture repair, and cruciate ligament surgery, alongside intensive aftercare. Owners repeatedly mention: - Clear, step-by-step explanations of options and procedures (including talking through whether surgery was needed). - Urgent, flexible response for a critical case, including arranging surgery quickly and supporting inpatient care over more than a week. - Follow-up and accessibility after procedures, including offering re-checks when owners reported healing concerns.
Gordon K A Lochrie appears to be a small practice (no corporate/group ownership is stated in the information provided). The latest reviews repeatedly separate the clinical care from the front-desk experience: multiple reviewers describe the vet “Gordon” as good with animals, while several 1–2★ reviews focus on rude, condescending interactions with the receptionist (described by one reviewer as “the vet’s wife”). One review mentions a cat being spayed via a charity scheme and then a dispute about the correct collection time after the operation. Concrete details mentioned in reviews include: - Cat spaying/operation and post-op collection arrangements being discussed by phone. - People attempting to register a cat and reporting the receptionist’s manner as the main barrier. - Mixed experience reported in the same visit: “pet is looked after” but the communication with staff is described as verbally harsh by some.
Gordon K A Lochrie appears to be a small practice (no corporate/group ownership is stated in the information provided). The latest reviews repeatedly separate the clinical care from the front-desk experience: multiple reviewers describe the vet “Gordon” as good with animals, while several 1–2★ reviews focus on rude, condescending interactions with the receptionist (described by one reviewer as “the vet’s wife”). One review mentions a cat being spayed via a charity scheme and then a dispute about the correct collection time after the operation. Concrete details mentioned in reviews include: - Cat spaying/operation and post-op collection arrangements being discussed by phone. - People attempting to register a cat and reporting the receptionist’s manner as the main barrier. - Mixed experience reported in the same visit: “pet is looked after” but the communication with staff is described as verbally harsh by some.
A small practice centred on vet Gordon K A Lochrie, with reviews describing a very mixed client experience. Several owners say Gordon is particularly good at putting nervous pets (and anxious owners) at ease, especially in routine cat visits. In contrast, multiple reviews focus on the receptionist’s manner—described as rude/condescending, with one reviewer saying they reported verbal abuse to the police—suggesting the front-desk experience is a major deciding factor here.
A small practice centred on vet Gordon K A Lochrie, with reviews describing a very mixed client experience. Several owners say Gordon is particularly good at putting nervous pets (and anxious owners) at ease, especially in routine cat visits. In contrast, multiple reviews focus on the receptionist’s manner—described as rude/condescending, with one reviewer saying they reported verbal abuse to the police—suggesting the front-desk experience is a major deciding factor here.
Browse by Speciality
Find vets by category in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

Best Emergency Vets
1 clinic
24-hour and emergency veterinary care in the local area.

Best Dog & Cat Vets
5 clinics
Small animal vets for dogs, cats and companion vets

Best Specialist Vets
3 clinics
Advanced care, referral centres and specialised services

Best Farm Vets
2 clinics
Large animal vets for livestock, horses and farm animals
More Veterinary Practices in Gainsborough
Additional veterinary clinics serving the area


